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3f NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED s. MILES, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

H BRUSH- BRlDL E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,617, dated April29, 1884.

Application filed April 18, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED S. Mines, of

Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Brushes, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, ref erence being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. I

My invention has relation to bristle-brushes, and especially to such asare used for varnish ing and painting; but, as will be understood fromthe following explanations, my improvements may be applied in connectionwith brushes used for any analogous purpose.

The object of my invention is to provide the brush with a simple,durable, and cheap appliance, which, when the brush is new and in use,will prevent undue spreading of the bristles at the edges. or margin,whereby the bristles are gradually worn away in the center of the brushand the brush otherwise unfitted for use, and which appliance may bereadily detached when the brush is worn away enough, so as no longer torequire support at the edges or outer margin. To accomplish this, myinvention involves the application to the socket for the bristles of astifiening-piece of metal formed and applied, as will be herein firstfully explained, and then pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 an 'edge view, of a flat brush havingone form of my improved device applied in connection therewith. Figs. 3and 4 are similar views, showing a stiffening or holding applianceconstructed and arranged to .opcrate on the same principles as thecorresponding device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but made of flatmetalinstead-of wire. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the wire-support shownin Figs. 1 and 2, as it appears when detached from the bristle-holder;and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the flat-metal support shown in Figs. 3and 4, all in accordance with my invention or improvements.

In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur,indicate corresponding parts. I

In the use of fiat brushes of the character to which my improvements areapplicable, it is (No model.)

found that the central part of the brush wears away faster than theedges, leaving the end of the brush hollowed out in themiddle, and thisresults from the fact that, the bristles at the edges are more free tospread out under the pressure 'upon the brush, the bristles at thecenter being supported in a great measure by those surroundingthecentral part, and thus rendered less elastic. When the brush is soworn, it is difficult to. apply the varnish or paint with it evenly inall parts of the stroke, the central part carrying and delivering muchmore material than the edges, thus leaving streaks,-which requirefrequent brushing to re move. So, too, with a flat brush worn as aboveexplained, it is difficult to reach into corners and produce uniformwork, because the brisa ties at the edges, being longer than those atthe center, will bend too much and not deliver the required amount ofpaint, rendering frequent brushings necessary. When the round or eylindrical brush is employed, the exterior bristles spread in the sameway, and much care is required of the operator to so handle his brushwhen it is new that it will wear away so as to leave a swallow-tail orwedge-shaped end. Otherwise it will wear to the form of a cone, and thusbe'practically useless for spreading the paint evenly, as required. Toavoid this in round brushes, painters have a habit of bridling the brushwith a bit of string, which is liable to slip and to interfere with theproper use of the brush, and oval brushes have been made with a view topreventing the formation of the conical point, but without obviating thespreading of the exterior bristles. With my adjustable metallic bridlethe round brush may be compressed to oval form, if desired, and in anyevent the brush may be stiffened the same as the fiat brush.

I11 the drawings, A represents the handle of any brush, B the socket forholding the base of the bristles or brush, and O the brush itself. Theseof course may be of any size or general pattern. I have chosen torepresent that class of brushes wherein the socket employed is made ofmetal; but obviously the socket might be of any required material. At ornear the outer margin of the socket I attach a supporting-wire, as D,Figs. 1 and 2. This being of inetal is, in the case of the fiat brush,most conveniently attached to the metal socket by use of a smallquantity of solder, or by the method known as tacking. It is attached sosecurely that there will be no danger of its being displaced duringordinary use of the brush, and it is made stiff enough to firmly holdthe bristles at the edges of the brush. For this purpose the support Dis made to extend beyond the margin of the socket, and far enough toinsure proper bearing against the marginal bristles, so that they shallbe supported quite as effectively as are those in the center of thebrush.

The attachment of the wire, Figs. 1, 2, and 5, is of such a characterthat it can, by use of a knife or other tool, be easily detached fromthe socket, so that when the brush is worn down considerably it canstill be used by removing the supporter or bridle. \Vhen so worn, theedge bristles will, being shorter than before, be much less yielding andless liable to spread, wherefore the brush can be used until all thebristles are worn down to the limit of their usefulness, whereasheretofore when the brush became too much hollowed out in the centralpart it had to be cast aside as useless.

Instead of makingthe rigid supporter in the form of a wire, it may bemade of ilat metal. as indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 6, of two piecesonefor each edgethe pieces being tacked up 011 the socket, and arranged tosustain the edge bristles and to be easily detached, the same as in thecase of the wire supporter.

Being thus constructed and arranged, the improved appliance will befound to admirably answer all the purposes or objects of the in ventionas previously set forth, to obviate all the disadvantages named inconnection with the use of old forms of fiat and cylindrical brushes,and to render the brush more efficient, more lasting, and more easy tobe used for the purposes intended.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to employ a hinged framefor supporting the brush-bristles. This frame, besides being applicableupon only particular sizes of brushes and expensive to make, isdisadvantageous in that it forms pockets at its lower margin, whichbecome filled with paint or varnish when dipped in the pot, and thisruns down upon the handle when the brush is raised for use. In myconstruction the supporting-pieces make a close joint at bottom with thebristle-socket, and are soldered in place in amanner to avoid theformation of the paint-collecting pockets above referred to. I make noclaim to this old form; but,

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described bristle-supporter soldered to the bruslrsocket,extending up to support the bristles at the margin of the brush, andarranged to be detached, substantially in the manner and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hate hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

ALF. S. MILES.

Vitnesses:

J OHN B UCKLER, Woirrn Oseooii.

